First Foot-and-mouth Case Reported in S.Korea

First case of foot-and-mouth in more than three years has been reported in South Korea.

First case of foot-and-mouth in more than three years has been reported in South Korea, say officials.

The Agriculture Ministry said in a statement that the case had been confirmed in a pig farm in Uiseong in the eastern province of North Gyeongsang.

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"A close examination confirmed an outbreak of FMD at the Uiseong farm," the statement said.

South Korea had just regained its status as an FMD-free country in May at a meeting of the World Organisation for Animal Health in Paris.

The entire Korean peninsula suffered a devastating outbreak in 2011 that resulted in the culling of nearly 3.5 million cattle, pigs and other animals in South Korea alone.

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The Seoul government estimated the cost of that outbreak at $2.6 billion.

Foot-and-mouth disease affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, deer, goats and sheep.

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North Korea suffered an outbreak in February this year, triggering a rare offer of vaccine and medical equipment from the South.

Source-AFP

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